With rising labor and food costs and a dicey economy, the dining scene across the country is undoubtedly undergoing shifts, and Houston is no exception. This month has brought some crushing restaurant closures, with one noticeable pattern: small and local restaurant chains seem to be shrinking. At least two restaurants this month were part of local chains, while another two belonged to restaurateurs with multiple dining establishments, proving that even established brands and restaurants are not exempt from what the industry is experiencing. Here are some of the toughest closures announced in the past month.

Know of another closing that should be on our list? Email [email protected].

CLOSED

Roswell’s Saloon

Houston restaurateur Shawn Bermudez closed this intergalactic Montrose watering hole on Sunday, June 28, after nearly three years in business. The owner told Culturemap Houston that he’d rather focus on his other businesses (The Burger Joint, The Taco Stand) rather than renew his lease for Roswell’s on Westheimer Road. The UV-reactive, extraterrestrial-themed neighborhood bar offered a cool atmosphere for drinking, with spacey cocktails, neon decor, and “sunset” happy hours with discounted drinks.

State Fare Bar & Kitchen’s Memorial City flagship

State Fare Kitchen & Bar, once a small local chain of restaurants known for its lively brunch, comfort dishes, and snazzy cocktails, has closed its flagship Memorial City location after a decade in business. This marks the restaurant’s second closure this year, with only one location remaining in The Woodlands.

Culinary Khancepts, the ownership group that took over the brand three years ago, announced the closure on June 1. The group is already teasing what’s next: a reimagined version of the concept with a revamped menu, a games-and-social-focused atmosphere, and a 15,000-square-foot footprint.

Duck N Bao—Cypress

Owners Grace and Leo Xia have closed the Cypress location of their small Beijing duck and dumpling restaurant chain. Chron reported that the restaurant closed with little notice. The Cypress location was removed from the Duck N Bao website, and the restaurant was marked as permanently closed on Google as of June 1. The Xias opened the Cypress location first, then expanded to Memorial in 2021 and Rice Village in 2024, both of which are still open. Duck N Bao’s sister concepts include Hongdae 33, an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue spot in Asiatown’s Dun Huang Plaza, and Seven Sushi & Robata, which opened in Dun Huang Plaza in 2025. Another Seven Sushi location is in the works.

Pho Fix

This Garden Oaks pho restaurant closed on June 8 after roughly three years in service. The restaurant posted its closure announcement just a day earlier, calling it a “difficult decision” but did not explain the reasoning. “Serving our community has been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. What started as a dream became a place where families gathered, friends shared meals, celebrations happened, and countless bowls of pho brought people together,” the post reads. Diners mourned the loss in the comments, lamenting its banh mi and warm bowls of pho. The restaurant opened its first location in Downtown’s Underground Food Hall in 2021 before opening the Garden Oaks location in 2023.

Platypus Brewing

Platypus Brewing, the Australian-inspired brewery, bar, and restaurant on Washington Avenue, poured its final pints on May 31 after nearly a decade in business. Owners noted on social media that their lease was ending, which prompted the closure, but that there’s something planned for the future. “Behind the scenes, something new is already in the works, building on what we’ve started here. We’re excited to share more soon,” they wrote. 

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

Hidden Omakase

This thrilling Michelin-recommended omakase restaurant has temporarily closed its doors after a car crashed into its dining room. The Hidden Omakase team has taken up a summer residency at Uptown’s cocktail lounge, Bar Moon, where it will host two seatings (6pm and 8:30pm) of 12 people per night, Tuesday through Saturday. Diners can make their reservations on Resy.

CLOSING SOON

Istanbul Grill

Rice Village’s Turkish restaurant Istanbul Grill will close on Sunday, July 19, after nearly 30 years in business. The website explains that the owners will be unable to continue operating “due to lease circumstances beyond [their] control.”

“It has been our absolute pleasure to serve you, to celebrate joys, share sorrows, and watch families grow in this space. Every guest and every visit has shaped who we are and what this restaurant has become. The community we’ve built together means more to us than words can express,” they wrote. 

Killen’s

Killen’s, the Southern comfort food restaurant on Heights Boulevard, will serve its last meal on Sunday, July 19, according to a social media post. Owner Ronnie Killen told Chron he received a strong offer for the property, which will be transformed into a gas station. Rising industry costs, nearby crime, and personal health challenges also factored into the decision.

A farewell menu featuring fan favorites—chicken-fried steak, oxtails, chicken pot pie, barbecue, and German chocolate cake—will be served through closing day, according to a recent Killen’s social media post. Many of the dishes were based on family recipes. Ronnie’s Czechoslovakian grandmother, Millie, worked at a school cafeteria in Moulton, a Texas town known for Czech and German heritage. His Aunt Margie made the German chocolate cake, and Ronnie incorporated barbecue, using skills he learned from his German grandfather Wilfred.

The restaurant opened in 2020 and received a Bib Gourmand in 2024, when the Texas Michelin Guide officially launched. 

Killen has closed other restaurants in recent years, including Killen’s TMX, his former Tex-Mex restaurant in Pearland, in 2023, and Killen’s STQ in 2024. Of Killen’s restaurants, only Killen’s Burgers, Killen’s Steakhouse, and Killen’s Barbecue will remain.